Coroner IDs Buda farmer, 25, hit, killed by train

PRINCETON – The 25-year-old man killed when an Amtrak train collided with his tractor Thursday morning southwest of Wyanet was identified this morning as Andrew “Drew” Frese, of Buda.

Frese, who was struck around 9:35 a.m. at the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad crossing, was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:30 a.m. by Coroner Janice Wamhoff.

Frese was southbound, crossing from one field to another when he was struck by the westbound passenger train, Sheriff James Reed said in a news release. He was pulling an anhydrous ammonia applicator behind the John Deere tractor.

The locomotive engineer and a train passenger were taken to Perry Memorial Hospital, while five other passengers were taken St. Luke’s Medical center in Kewanee. All were in stable condition, the release said.

The Amtrak train 381, Carl Sandburg was heading to Quincy from Chicago when it struck the tractor at the crossing, which is near 1250 East St. and 1400 North Ave.,

The train remained on the track, but the locomotive was damaged extensively.

Among others, Frese is survived by his wife, Kayla (Roberts) Frese, a son, Tyler, 4, and a daughter, Valerie Grace, 2. The couple married in September.